The Restoration log from '96 and '97

Topics Covered:
Engine expired
Fuel tank refurbishment
Seat belts
Piston replacement
Rod bearing replacement
Brakes
Axle rebuilds
Motor Mounts
Fabricated floorpans
Body work
General motor cleaning
Freeze plug replacement
Pretty much everything to take it from basket case to driveable

Events below are in reverse chronological order, FYI.

11/30/97:Disaster strikes again. On the annual tree run we make, I was almost the the store we buy our tree at (~5 miles away), and the engine started acting up again. We were in the store for a while to let things cool down (even though the temp was normal, too). Halfway home, it started happening again. We made it to our neighborhood and I coasted most of the way in. When I put it in gear to turn onto my street, it died with no power. I restarted it and goosed it so I wouldn't have to push it to my house, and it dies shortly after. I started it the next day, and could tell it wasn't quite as it had been, but it still runs, and doesn't leak, etc. Of course, now it's winter and I don't have an enclosed space to work on it.

11/8/97:It starts. It runs, it doesn't smoke, no froth in the oil. I put a mechanical oil pressure guage on it and the readings are within spec. I'm running the guage on a "T" with the oil sender so my dash guage still works. My dad and I took it around the neighborhood while he was over visiting and the beast behaved. It looks like it was a temp problem.

10/25/97:Major Bummer. I took the Scout to the mountains with a group of friends to do some camping and hiking. Made it there fine except the voltage regulator started acting up again. And driving through Charlottesville during rush hour made the clutch start acting up. It took to the trails well and never faltered. The next day, I was driving home and the steering felt loose. I could wiggle the driver's front wheel so I took the hub apart to tighten the retaining nut I'd not gotten totally snug when I was putting it together. No bearing damage. Back on the road 1/2 hour later. Trying to draft a rig to help the fuel mileage for 20 miles and I felt a little power loss, then the motor started making clacking noises as I pulled onto the shoulder. It died as I coasted. I checked and could turn the motor using the fan belt and there was no oil leaking and no water in the oil. I waited a few minutes and it started, but ran a little rough. No smoke from the tailpipe, so I drove it up the onramp a few hundred yards away. When I got near 35-40 mph, it started making the sound again. I pulled into the gas station and ran up the cellular bill tracking down my dad to get him to bring the trailer. After the hours spent waiting, it started and ran fine when I drove it onto the trailer. What a guy! He drove the 3 hours to get me, then dropped me at my house, then drove home an hour away. He got an extra hour of sleep since it was daylight savings going into effect. He'll be getting a superb Christmas gift this year!

9/15/97:Tank in. The driver's fuel tank is now back where it belongs, and the fuel float is dry on the inside again. I sealed the float inside a deflated balloon hoping to stave off any leaks in the float for a while. The guage reads accurately again, and I don't smell or see any gas leaking from the compartment. I also put in the heater core/box, but haven't hooked up the coolant lines to it yet. At least I've got a defroster again. I finished the sides and hood with polishing compound and a coat of wax, and the color actually looks pretty good (especially since it's thinner in some places compared to others).

9/14/97:Cleaned the compartment where the tank sits in the body. After I'd gotten the traces of gas that were still around out of there, I re-primed the surfaces then sprayed the undercoating in the hole as I'd done before. I'm glad I'd originally coated the bottom half of the tank with the undercoat as I could spot where the leak was occurring by looking at where the undercoat was no longer present.

9/12/97:I used an X-acto knife to open the diameter of the hole in the tank a smidgen. It measured about 1/16" across after I got done prepping it. I melted some paste flux in and around the area, and let solder from my iron weep into the gap. After it had dried, I Marine-Tex'd over it using a thin piece of aluminum as a cover patch where the seam is createdbetween the tank side and bottom. After it dired, I let it sit overnight with water in it and noticed no wet spots on the floor. It looks like it sealed just fine.

9/10/97:I washed the inside of the tank with muriatic acid and filled it with water to see if I could see exactly where the leak was. It turns out that there's a pinhole where the original metal rusted away a bit. I may try to make the hole a tad larger and solder it, then marine-tex over it with a metal patch. I'd rather do that than put tank sealer on the inside.

9/07/97:Removed the driver's side fuel tank so I can figure out where it's leaking. It looks like it's at the seam at the bottom of the tank, not the mounts that had been welded back on.

9/05/97:Paint cleaning. I began the process of seeing how much oxidation the paint has gotten. It looks like the polishing compound has lightened the shade of my paint closer to its original color. Unfortunately, it'll take a new coat of paint to get it back to the original color again. At least it looks a little better.

9/03/97:Wiper repair. On the way to Hatteras, it rained buckets, and my passenger side wiper quit working properly much like the driver's side did back in July. I borrowed wiper removal pliers and got both arms off and found that the set-screws had loosened enough to let the splined nut turn free on the motor shaft. I filed flats where the screws would locate and reinstalled the wipers. They now work as well as they're supposed to.

8/26/97:Seat belts in. After I rounded out the phillips-head screws used to mount the rear seat belts, I filed flats on opposite sides of each screw head so I could get a wrench on them, then heated the nuts underneath the cab with a propane torch and they came out easily. I should have heated them first and they probably would have come right out. I used the original belts that came out of the front seats, but they may be on the short side if you've got large passengers back there.

8/22/97:Leaking water, again. This one turned out to be a simple fix. The O-ring that goes on the water pipe from the water pump to the cylinder head had torn and was leaking. A new ring was installed and there are, again, no drips on the pavement.

8/16/97:Heater core ready. I've had the heater box out while I was looking for a suitable material to use as insulation/shock absorption for the heater core. I found that regular weatherstripping is what the A/C shop around the corner from me uses. Everything is bolted back together and ready for me to put back into the engine compartment.

8/11/97:Daily driving seems to suit the beast around town, but it's really geared for off-road instead of highway cruising. I ordered some seat belts from JC Whitney (the shortest available) and installed them for the front passengers. I need to get the rear mounting screws loose and then I'll put the old front belts in for the back seat. The clutch-related noise seems to only come about when I tach the engine up a bit in the lower gears. If I'm really gentle on it and short-shift it, the noise doesn't seem to happen.

7/26/97:Well, it's first trip to the sands of the Outer Banks went fairly smoothly. I took it out onto the sands of Oregon Inlet for some surfing/fishing, and also to the ramps at Salvo and at the Hatteras lighthouse. The ammeter did its thing again, but I pinched the connector plug and the problem went away again. I did notice a vibration-type sound coming from the clutch area when the revs were higher in each gear (and from about 45mph upward). It went away when I pressed the clutch pedal in enough to feel it start to engage. After having to use 4-lo to get through some really fluffy sand, the noise seems to have dissipated, only re-surfaces very occasionally. The driver's wiper motor only wants to throw the blade halfway through its arc after using it through some torrential rain. Hopefully, it's just a vacuum line coming loose a bit.

7/17/97:DOH! The freshly installed tank has a minute leak somewhere near the left-front mount hole. It's not enough to worry about right now, but will need some attention when I get back. Installed the rear shocks. On the way back from the gas station, the ammeter pegged at full charge when I started the engine. I got home but couldn't find any wires visibly shorted. Bolted on the old alternator, same effect. Tried a new voltage regulator, same effect, but it worked correctly some of the time. Took off the old regulator and reset the points and air gaps. That worked for a bit, but went back. I noticed that when the flat connector to the regulator was tweaked with, the charging went back to normal. I squeezed the connectors a bit so the spade connectors on the regulator would make better contact, and the problem went away. Next step is to replace that connector plug.

7/16/97:Two tanks now. My friend finally got the driver's side tank back to me after welding on new mounts to the bottom. It'll be nice to have the extra capacity there for when I take it to Nags Head, NC next week.

7/12/97:Back together (again). The intake gasket hadn't come in yet, and I was jonesing to enjoy the nice weekend, so I cleaned the old gasket and re-installed it (using silicone around the water ports). After tightening things down, I started it, half expecting to see coolant gushing out. I put on the driveshaft I got from Howard Pletcher, and it fit perfectly. The skid plate was bolted on and all hose clamps were re-tightened. I drove it all weekend and I didn't see the leak come back at all. I pulled the top and have been cruising around like that for the past few days now. There is still the obligatory few drips of oil after standing overnight, but I'll accept that since the beast is nearly 30 years old.

7/09/97:New gasket installed. Okay, my dad assisted me this time, and we used sealer around where the water ports are on the block and the head to further reduce the chance of another leak. After that, I started putting the rest of it back together. I'm still waiting on another intake manifold gasket, but I've got the engine back together to the point that I'll just have to put the gasket in place and torque down the manifold. I'll be so glad when my garage floor doesn't have a zillion engine parts strewn about.

7/06/97:Not Again. :-( Somewhere, somehow, I've picked up a coolant leak because there's a puddle under the flwheel cover after I drive it. I'm thinking the head gasket got tweaked this last time I removed the head. I've started taking the pieces back off so I can change the gasket again. I'm definitely getting another person to help me with it this time.

7/03/97:Runs like a champ! No more piston slap sound! It drives great and I'm not hesitant to floor it when merging with traffic. There's still a little bit of an off-idle stumble for some reason. I replaced the gasket on the float bowl with a piece of sheet rubber (that roll just seems to last and last) I cut to form from the old one.

7/01/97:Back together again. Picked up a new rod bearing for the number four rod since it was showing some copper color in the middle of the bearing. I also noticed some gouges on the rod journal. It looks like there was a problem with the original rod/cap/something and that that problem caused the crank to slam into some sharp metal. There was no metal protruding, just gouges. The new bearing clearanced fine with the proper torque. The rest of the pistons went in with no drama. Got the head and rocker arm assembly back on. Siliconed the block where the valley cover will ride since I still couldn't find a gasket. The pistons went in beautifully and everything was smooth sailing as it was bolted back into one unit.

6/28/97:Honing completed. Using the medium/fine cut stones in the hone, I put a nice crosshatch in each of the cylinders, and cleaned the gunk from all the holes and the crank. The new rings didn't need to be gapped, but I had a bunch of carbon to get out of the grooves. Once I get the rod bolts, I'll be able to start putting it back together again.

6/23/97:Pistons out. I've decided to take out all the pistons and put new rings on each. Good thing I pulled them out, since the #2 piston had a broken top ring. I've also taken a ridge reamer to the tops of each of the cylinders so the new rings don't hang on anything. Picked up the new piston that was having the rod pressed onto the wristpin.

6/19/97: Back to the block. With the appropriate sockets in hand, I got the intake, lifter cover, exhaust manifold, and cylinder head off (again, ugh). I took the rod cap off, and shoved the piston up and out of the cylinder. The first thing I noticed is that the skirt had been galled in four places, each about 45 degrees on each side of the wrist pin, with one of the spots looking exceptionally rough. The inside micrometer showed that out of round and taper measurements between the top and bottom of the cylinder was within tolerances. Also, there were no major gouges inside the cylinder, so I'll just take a stone-hone and crosshatch the lining before I put a new piston in. The wrist pin is pressed in instead of using a spring keeper, so a machine shop will have to press it back in when I find a new piston. Time to make another call to NAPA. I should have bought stock in them before I began all this. :-) In other good news, I recieved the new driveshaft from Howard Platcher. Putting the old one next to the new one shows me just how bad my old one had gotten. The unit from Howard has no slop and is only 1/4" shorter than my present shaft, so it should work beautifully. I'll test the fit tomorrow.

6/12/97:More engine parts off. Started taking off the top end of the engine, but had to stop when I couldn't find a socket to remove one of the intake manifold bolts (it requires a swivel 9/16" socket since the clearance around the nut head is so tight).

6/09/97:Back into the engine. Removed the oil pan to check the clearances on the rod and crank bearings. Nothing moved any more than it should have, and after pulling the rod cap on the #1 cylinder, that bearing looked to be in near perfect condition. I eventually tugged on the skirt of that piston and managed to make the same clacking sound I'd heard. I did the same test to the #4 and it showed only as much play as the #2 and 3 cylinders. Hopefully, it's only the piston that will need replacing, and that it's not being caused by a cylinder that's out of true.

6/07/97:Front shocks. Installed the longer-shaft front shocks and they fit nicely. The longer rears are too long, so I'll have to go back to the standard length and settle with less downward travel than optimum.

6/05/97:Vacuum stuff. I replaced the vacuum advance line with a piece of universal brake piping 20" long. I found out that the new vacuum advance module doesn't have a flange "seat" for the flange on the piping, so I'll need to go buy a fitting so I don't have a vacuum leak there. Maybe it will run a little better then, 'cause it almost wants to die when I give it gas right off idle. Got word that the heater core has a couple of pinholes in addition to the crack at the base of the nozzle. Recommendation: re-core it. It should be ready in a couple of days. Howard Pletcher is checking on a front driveshaft and slipyoke (full compressed length is 24.5", measured u-joint center to u-joint center; yoke depth is 3-7/8").

6/01/97:Wiper Arms on. The roll pin in the passenger side wiper arm serrated nut was as siezed as the driver's side, so I drilled it out as best as possible and managed to pull the nut off. The new one was easy to install (uses set screws) and operates flawlessly. Remember to start the motor and let the wiper motor return to its full stop position before you put the arm onto the nut.

5/30/97:Heater box painting. Painted the heater box black since I couldn't find anything close to the grey-green it had been originally painted.

5/29/97:More sending unit stuff. The guage wasn't reading anything but full, so I popped the access panel hiding the fuel sender and put the sender in from the driver's side in its place. Now the Fuel guage works close to as it should (near full = full tank, on "E" means 2 gallons left. I made a "flap" from teflon sheet to span the distance between the access panel and the inside of the rear quarterpanel to keep water and gunk from being flung up inside the cavity as had happened before.

5/27/97:Heater core. Four bolts later, the heater core/box is out. I had to remove the cap nearest the inner fender to slide the core enough to let the input and output nozzles clear some sheetmetal in the engine bay. Once the box was out, the core slid out easily. The bottom nozzle has a crack where it meets the core. I took a wire brush to the box and fan motor, and primed them for painting.

5/24/97:Finally! Installed the new alternator and the mystery noise was gone. Gave the filler one last sanding and sprayed each side with primer. Removed the front driveshaft so my dad could lengthen it in an attempt to take out some of the slop due to not being far enough into the slip yoke. Rolled the sides up on the top, and headed for home. Forty-five minutes later, my friend Chuck and I stopped for pizza/beer, and we noticed a dip from under the area of the heater core. It ran a little warmer than I thought it would, but I still haven't put in a proper mix of coolant since I want to get as much of the rust dust out of the system as possible first. At least the beast is now sitting at home!

5/17/97:Close, but no cigar. Another round of sanding on the body seam filler to smooth it out. Adjusted the parking brake and the front brakes again. Re-riveted the mounts for the top that run behind the windows (the rivets had broken). Mounted the accelerator pedal to the floor. Washed all the dust off it, and drove it down the road to test it. Hmmm, I dont' remember that groaning/himmung noise from before. I parked it and popped the hood. Nothing looking out of place, no leaks, oil pressure nominal, temp was okay, ammeter responding. It wasn't until I happened to touch the alternator that I figured it out. It was scorching hot! I'll see about getting the bearings replaced in it compared to the price of a new one. Tweaked with the fuel sender in the tank that is installed to get it to start reading. I'm not sure if it's shorted, but it reads a full tank, which is what is in it. Replaced the valve cover gasket to replace the one I made. The front driveshaft seems very worn making for a lot of slop. It scould be inserted into the output from the x-fer case to remove most of it, so I'm planning on chopped some of the worn end off the splines and getting it lengthened about an inch to make up the difference. Maybe next weekend will have a better outcome

5/13/97:It's LEGAL!! After one more once-over, I took it to an inspection station and after a scary moment when the guy checked the vertical play in the front wheels, I got a spiffy new inspection sticker applied. I'm now legally able to drive the beast on the road/sand/whatever's legal. I applied a finishing coat of seam sealer on the panels behind the doors. I've noticed an intermittent *tink* sound in the engine that sounds almost like a screw being thrown against a valve cover, but the engine stethoscope couldn't pinpoint the exact area of the noise when it would occur. I'm going to need a radiator cap since the one I have won't hold pressure. I also notice that the front driveshaft doesn't go up very far into the font output from the transfer case. I may get the shaft lengthened a couple of inches before I take it somewhere offroad.

5/11/97:Muffler. My dad stoked me on a muffler and tailpipe, and installed it for me. Parts were available from NAPA, and I'll add them to the parts page when I get my hands on the reciept. The "Brake" light in the center of the dash was terminally lit, so I looked in the service manual and found that it is controlled by a switch screwed into brake line block. It will only go out when it is removed, allowing the plungers inside to reset themselves back to center.

5/10/97:I really wanna take it home... but I haven't got the time this day. I did some more sanding of the seam filler, and got both sides ready for the final smooth coat. Pulled the steering wheel and found the shunt I made hadn't been secure enough and had come off. Re-soldered it and the hazard flashers now flash as designed. The guages are working less than all the time, so I took the dash panel back off to see if I can figure out where the bad ground might be. Bolted the skid plate back onto the tranny crossmember. Got the e-brake working with the proper amount of stopping power.

5/9/97:Brakes, etc. Did some more adjusting on the brakes, and managed to get them close to perfect. The e-brake still doesn't grab like it should. Took it on a test run to check the braking power, and found that if I was coasting and jabbed the brake pedal hard a couple of times in rapid succession, the motor would die. Apparently, the carb was flooding the engine. This happened a couple of times (hey, it was a repeatable condition, at least). Re-adjusted the new wiper arm to keep it from stopping below the winshield gasket. Hazard flashers have stopped flashing the lights even though I can hear the signal flasher doing its thing. Turn signals still work, though.

5/3/97:Getting close, now! I sprayed undercoating on the passenger side fuel tank, and installed it back into its home and buttoned the panel back in place. Put the parking brake cable and handle back on after I'd straightened it and lubed it sufficiently, and it seems to work properly again. Put the rear wheels on just to see what it looks like sitting on the ground (pretty sharp, if I do sa so myself). Re-installed the vent window assembly, and the teflon window channel trick works *very* well. Put the trim peices back on the driver's door and all is well with it. I sprayed the first coat of undercoating on the exposed holes left in the old floorpan (I put new metal over the existing pans). I'll need to get creative with the accelerator pedal since the little ball attachment has broken through the mount it was installed in originally. I'm thinking of just putting some U-channel on the back to let the linkage slide up and down in. If that isn't feasible, maybe a pedal suspended by a spring will work (like in some later-model vehicles). Installed a new wiper arm I bought from NAPA. I had to use a puller to get the old serrated nut off the shaft since the roll pin wasn't going to budge and only a few thousands of the original pin were holding the nut in place. The new nut uses two setscrews, so it didn't matter that the middle of the pin wasn't removed.

4/30/97:Trim priming. Since I'd taken out the vent window for the channel replacement, I decided to strip the surface rust from the inside upper door lip. Primed it after that, and sprayed the fuel tank with cold galvanizing primer to prevent any more rusty buildup for the rest of its natural life (that's the plan, at least).

4/29/97:Window channel. I still had some teflon sheet left after I made the lower window channel insert for the driver's door, and I need to come up with something for the front channel. The original isn't available anymore, so I cut the teflon sheet into a peice that I can attach to the front of the window. I folded it over on itself and heated the crease to help it stay compact, Now, I just have to put it in and test it out.

4/26/97:Floorpans. I began reconstructing the floorpan on the driver's side to fix some major open spots. I used 18 guage galvanized sheet and pop riveted sections in to make a ledge to hold the new metal I'll drop in. I'm leaving what's left of the original floor since it's still fairly strong. Removed the wiper arm from the driver's side motor shaft. Couldn't get the serrated nut off, though. Re-installed the driver's door rear window channel after I cut some teflon sheet to make the runner that goes inside it. I still need another layer to make keep the window from rattling when the door closes. Removed the vent window assembly, and the window belt-strips to see if I can find a match for them anywhere.

4/24/97:Just patch it. I was informed that Marine-Tex makes a great patch putty for fuel tanks, so I bought some of the grey kind, and applied it to the tank with the pinholes. It has hardened nicely and looks like it'll hold fuel with no problems at all. Tough stuff, it is.

4/22/97:Sender two -check. Pulled apart the other fuel sending unit, and found that the cardboard resister retainer had torn at the very top, so I twisted the output rod back into position and straightened the wires as best as possible. Cleaned the wires and straightened the contact and got it to read between 86 and 13 ohms, which is close enough for me. Both tanks held the water I'd put in them through the night with no sign of moisture at the bottom seams. Gave the passenger side tank another wash and found even more stuff coming out. I dried inside of each afterward with a blow-drier. A friend may be able to tack on some new mounts to the driver's side tank, so I'm crossing my fingers.

4/21/97:Fuel tank time. Wiped down the outside of both tanks. Threw a handful of nuts and bolts into the passenger tank and rattled them around for a while to loosen as much rust as possible. then washed out the inside of each with muriatic acid to remove the scale buildup. Took a wire brush to the rusty spots on the outside. Filled each with a few gallons of water to see if there was any seepage at the seams.

4/19/97: Looking better. I installed the new tires on the front end (Only two fit in my Integra comfortably), and they look *sharp*! The 15x8" wheels and 31x10.5" Dunlops fill the wheel wells nicely. Drained the rear diff since it was leaking a tiny bit, sealed it with Permatex, and refilled it. The passenger door lower hinge had gotten tweaked just a tad somehwere in its life, so I put a screwdriver between the hinge plates and applied some pressure. Now the door closes as easily as when it was new. Brazed the bracket back onto the window guide channel that goes inside the back of the driver's side door. I need to see about replacing the plastic insert before I put it back in the door. Began the patch process by putting some new metal into the holes ahead of the rear wheels.

4/14/97:Sending unit - Check. Pulled the sending unit out of the starboard side tank to see why it wouldn't read. After a bunch of scraping and polishing of contacts, I got it to operate to within 10% of nominal range. I can live with that.

4/13/97:Hazard a guess. After much poking with a multimeter, and filing off the rivets holding the switch together, I came across a combination that let the hazard lights work without losing the ability to signal. I had to shunt between the pink wire (pilot/unused) and the black wire to get power when the switch was enabled. At least I didn't have to buy a new one. I put Nev-R-Sieze on the steering wheel mount in case I ever have to get it back off to replace it. After that, I saw I had no parking lights or backup lights on the driver's side. This was found to be a loose spade plug on circuit 115 coming from the steering column harness. Now, the wires are tucked away and everything works. Next, I cut some galvanized sheetmetal (Hampton SheetMetal) into panels that would cover the outboard sides of the fuel tank enclosures (about 9"x18" at the bottom) and pop-riveted them into place. Then I sprayed both sides with more rubber undercoat (I *refuse* to do more de-rusting in the future). Got the front of the rear quarters ready to accept panels of the same material. Filled the diffs with gear oil, so it's ready for its first *real* drive.

4/12/97:And I *thought* I'd seen the last of the rust. I took the wire brush to the inside of the cavites where the fuel tanks are kept, and removed as much rust as possible. I sprayed cold galvanizing primer on anything I cleaned, then followed with a coat of rubberized spray undercoating. Removed the steering wheel to take a look at the hazard switch which still wasn't working. Couldn't get it working yet. Installed the steering stabilizer.

4/09/97:To the junk yard. I found a tank for the passenger side from Ivan Farley (717) 547-1482 for a very good price. I then went to a local scrap yard and found only a backup light from a postal Jeep that will match the light that's on the driver's side. Cleaned it and made a rubber gasket for it to replace the torn felt unit in it.

4/08/97:Tank time. I made a run over to do some work, and began the process of taking out the tanks. I found and removed about twenty pounds of hard, compacted dirt behind the fuel tank access panel and the rocker panel. The driver's side tank mounts were completely rusted away, and the fuel feed pipe was rusted through. This is why I had the great Amoco flood: the fuel pump started the suction and once started, the siphon action continued through the rusted pieces of the pipe, producing a lovely, lingering bouquet of processed dinosaurs. The right side tank had thin spots that I was able to poke through with a fingernail, thus the slow leaks on it. After getting the tanks moving freely inside their compartments, I ran into a block in that there isn't enough room between the wheel well opening and the brake drum to allow the tank to slide out. I'm planning on putting the rear end higher, loosening the shackles, and letting the axle down on a jack to get the clearance.

4/06/97:Cleaning day. Well, having moved the beast from its winter home, I thoroughly cleaned the garage floor, removing all traces of the surgery that transpired over the winter. Cleaned the contacts on the signal flaser and fuse and got the turn signals to work. I think the contacts need to be cleaned on the hazard switch since it still doesn't work at all.

4/05/97:Some finishing touches. Installed the taillight and backup light, making sure to clean all the contacts and grounds. Now, all the exterior lights work on demand. Bolted in the instrument panel and heater ducting. Tightened the fittings at the fuel tank selector valve to fix a slow leak.
Installed the rubber seals to the drag link and greased them up. Bolted on the front wheels. Drained the right side tank (it seeps near the bottom seam), and put the gas into the driver's side tank. Surprise: the guage reads correctly! Replaced the tranny access panel and started it while still on the jackstands to make sure there wasn't a bind anywhere. Engaged the transfer case and all the wheels worked when desired and stopped when I mashed the brake. I turned the motor off and heard a liquid cascading beneath me. Looking down, I see gas almost pouring out of the floorpan beneath the tank. Some hectic moments getting some storage containers and catching it, followed by about an hour cleaning the place, and we put the truck on the ground and started it with some gas put into the right tank again. I backed it out under its own power, which was a great feeling! I let it idle in 1st over to my dad's shed where it will remain until I can get the tanks straightened out.

4/01/97:Gaskets. With all the scrap rubber mat I've got left, I decided to make some new taillight lens gaskets. I also made one for the passenger side backup light. I soldered the buld to the socket of the taillight on the side with the broken retaining "tang". Hopefully, it'll work for me.

3/31/97:More re-assembly. Re-connected the wires to the instrument panel, but there are still a couple of bulbs that need to work a little brighter. I had turn signals for a second, but they stopped working when I tried to use the hazard switch. Re-connected the ducting to the driver's side defroster vent. Attached the tie rod to the steering knuckles, and then the drag link to the tie rod. bled the master cylinder and brakes and made the initial adjustments to each drum. Re-assembled the locking hub that wouldn't fully lock down. Bolted the font diff cover onto the pumpkin. All that's left is to put the front wheels on and it can be driven.

3/29/97:It's all coming together. Got to it early this Saturday. Got the rear brake shoes installed, and put the rear drums on and bolted the wheels on for the first time in more than several months. Installed the ring carrier in the front diff. Note: I installed the bearing caps in on the wrong sides at first, and it caused a tight spot to happen. I put the caps back to their original locations and the ring gear had the proper backlash. FYI, of course. Installed the axle shafts and re-assembled the steering knuckles. I used a moly greas in the knuckles since the back of the knuckles weren't mirror smooth, and oil may have leaked out (even thought the seals themselves were new. Got the brakes put on and got the hubs installed. I *did* notice that I must have not tightened a fitting on the fuel tank selector valve since I see a drop constantly form on the lowest point of the valve. I'll correct this the next time I'm over there. Re-connected the loose vacuum line that runs to the driver's wiper motor. I may also have a *very* slow leak somewhere on the back outside corner of the passenger fuel tank, but I can't see any concentration of dampness except at the seam where the access panel joins the inner body panel. Will it never end? :-)

3/25/97:More scrubbing. I also have the heater ducting out and have taken a ScotchBrite pad to it to get the surface rust removed from it. I did notice a concentration of rust which makes me think there's a leak near the wiper motor on the passenger side, so I'll check it the next time I'm over working on it. Cleaned and re-greased the rear sections of the parking brake cable.

3/24/97:Polishing chrome. Since I have the instrument panel removed, I'm taking the opportunity to remove the surface rust from the chrome of the guage bezels, A simple SOS pad knocked it right off and they look brand new now. The turn signal lever needs a bit more attention, and it'll need some paint since the rust was a little thicker on it.

3/23/97:Front end's turn. AFter more cleaning of the inside of the pumpkin, I installed the pinion into the front axle, and discovered two more seals that aren't listed in the manual (stamped 17036). I'll have to get these before I can put the ring carrier back into it. These are outboard of the ring carrier bearing races on each side. Re-installed the driveshafts front and rear.

3/22/97:Rear-end closed. Bolted the diff cover onto the housing and re-attached the brake lines. The part number in my manual listed the wrong size shoes, so I have to exchange them before I can install the brakes and rear wheels. Removed the instrument panel to check the oil pressure and fuel gauages. Both work normally when voltage is applied, so I'll have to hunt the problem down with a circuit trace.

3/17/97:Rear end ready. After a few more attempts at getting the pinions bearing preload correct, we finally get the pinion, seal, and yoke installed into the pumpkin. As an aside, after measuring the preload shims twice, we still had to add more to the original thickness to get the tension right (just FYI). If I ever build another diff after the front one, it'll be *much* too soon. Installed the ring carrier and, fortunately, the original shims gave the proper amount of backlash. Got the rear axles/bearings installed and mounted the backing plates onto the axle tubes.

3/16/97:Diff stuff. I took the opportunity to fill the transfer case with oil (through the vent hole since the access panel was still off). I installed the pinion races with the sppropriate shims. The yoke had rusted away at part of the lip that the seal rides on. My dad brazed it all around and milled it down, but it took a while to get the excess/flux out of the splines. BTW, the front yoke is about .250" longer than the rear. We reasoned ourselves into putting the shims for the bearing preload on the wrong side of the front bearing and it took us over an hour to get it back out. A much closer look at the service manual showed where the shims should have gone, so I'll attack it again Monday. Installed the flywheel shroud/cover.

3/15/97:It..... LIVES!!! It turns out that there is a hose that's made and is in the parts books, so a different NAPA found the right model. It was put on and the clamps tightened. Filled it with water and a touch of anti-freeze (since I'm going to drain it to remove all the gunk that didn't get blown out). I put the old header pipe on without the doughnut since the original wasn't the right one. I'm going to have a shop bend a new system for me anyway. After tweaking with the distributor to get the timing close, it finally stayed running without any help. My dad timed it by ear and it purrs like a kitten (albeit an unmuffled kitten when the revs go up). We weren't showing any oil pressure on the guage, so we put a manual guage on it and it read exactly within specs (15 @ idle, 45 @ 1800). It starts the first time every time! The only guage that doesn't show a good reading is the dreaded fuel guage, but I figured on that not working anyway. I also adjusted the clutch linkage and found that a roll pin had sheared (that's why the old rod seemed too short and was bent). Even the wipers work, but there's a small leak on the driver's side motor/vacuum hose. Plenty of heat from the heater/defroster, too!

3/04/97:I have a hose (almost)! My dad tried to fab a 90 degree bend into aluminum pipe, but there was just barely too much clearance if we were to cut it to the right length to fit. It would appear that I'll need to get one from one of the used parts vendors. Torqued the oil pan bolts, put on the oil filter, and filled it with oil. Replace the fuel filter element. Installed a horn and tested it.

3/01/97:More little parts on. Found a piece of grade-7 threaded rod to use in place of the current clutch pedal pushrod (it's bent). Installed the top radiator hose, but the flex hose I got for the bottom wouldn't work (again). Wiggled some wires and now have high and low beams on both headlights, and dash lights. Dissected the passenger taillight and found a broken socket with no bulb installed. Passenger reverse light still wouldn't work using bulb from the other light. The license plate light also worked when the good bulb was put in. Cleaned and aligned the points contact and installed a new condenser in the distributor.

2/23/97:Plumbing hookup. Installed new heater hose (5/8" - one six foot package was enough). Installed radiator and fan. The radiator hoses were each about two inches too short, so I'll need to try again on those. Connected new vacuum lines (7/32" ID), and PCV tube. Removed the "finger" seals (part of the rear main seal) by screwing in a drill bit and pulling, and then pushed the new seals into place using an aluminum welding rod. I used some sealer between the gasket and the oil pan after taking a wire brush to the pan, and bolted it into place. The rod that runs from the clutch pedal through the firewall had a notch worn into it and is bent at that notch, so I need to find a piece of fine threaded grade-8 rod that's about 3 inches longer than the current one. I hooked up the battery (careful, the red lead is ground), and the radio came to life. I have two front parking lights, a driver's side rear parking light and backup light, and a passenger side high beam. The only dash light that works is the high-beam indicator. No turn signals. It's better than nothing.

2/19/97:Vacuum routing. I got word from the IHC digest about how the vacuum tubes are supposed to go. The "Y" shouldn't even be there and the "Out" from the fuel pump should run to the fitting on the intake manifold. I also glued the rubber strips I'd cut onto the transmission tunnel panel, so it's ready to be put back in when I get the driveshafts re-attached.

2/17/97:More engine work. Bolted on the alternator bracket and alternator and installed the new fan belt. Installed the new vacuum advance module and set the points gap in the distributor (cleaning the plug wires/connectors afterward). New spark plugs are in. De-rusted/primed the rearward interior section where the transmission tunnel mates to it. Re-connected most of the pipes and hoses to the carb/fuel pump. My manual didn't have a picture of the vacuum hose routing, so I need to experiment a bit since there was a "Y" adapter put in by the last owner that doesn't look like it mates to anything. I need to re-connect the fuel line to the pump since it became disconnected when the engine "dropped" on us a couple of weekends ago. Re-installed the starter motor (another feat of wrenching in a *very* cramped area). Installed the freshly painted valve cover. It's really exciting to actually see the motor nearly complete again (plus, everyhting's been painted IH red instead of 30 year old rust).

2/15/97:Re-assembly continues. My friend Chuck didn't wise up after the first time, so I managed to get him to help again. We bolted on the "new" bellhousing and then we got the tranny/x-fer case bolted back into place and re-attached the shift levers. Installed the new urethane motor mounts (no small task) so we could put the engin back together. Re-installed the cylinder head, exhaust manifold, intake manifold, clutch linkage, carb, and water pipe (making sure to torque everything to proper specs) by the time we'd decided to call it a day.

2/13/97:"It" has arrived. After two weeks of thumb-twiddling, the bellhousing arrived on my doorstep last night! I immediately headed to the workbench to take a wire brush in a drill to clean off the buildup of hardened mud/grease. A little more cleaning, and I'll be able to put some paint on it. The unit is in very good condition (other than needing the cleaning), and AT Scouts was *very* helpful - I highly recommend them.

2/11/97:Yet more de-rusting. Cleaned off all the rust from the exhaust header pipe and painted it with high-temp BBQ grill paint to stave off the rust for a little while. Found a spare header doughnut behind the driver's seat that I'll be able to put to good use. Went by Off-Road Performance and found a few extra differential shims they had lying around and I took my calipers to the old shim packs (heavily rusted where the water was leaking out of the diffs and managed to put together enough in the right thicknesses. Now, I just have to put them in the diffs so I can start on the brakes.

2/8/97:Flywheel install. Installed the new rear main seal. Installed the pliot bearing into the flywheel, and put the flywheel back onto the crankshaft. Then, put on the new clutch disk and pressure plate assembly. The previous owner had replaced the tranny, so I had the old input shaft to use as my alignment tool. Do not attempt to replace the clutch stuff without something to align the parts! It could take forever, although it'd be doable. Also cleaned the rear axle tube which was still a little too grungy. Now, all the gunk that isn't firmly attached is cleaned out. I have to find some shims for the pinion bearing race and I'll be able to re-assemble it. I took out the parking brake cable since it wasn't working freely and found out that there was a major kink and fraying right before where the cable exits the cab. Now, I've got to find one of those, too. Got the first coat of paint sprayed on the axles and leaf springs.

2/4/97:More painting. Painted the skid plate and flywheel cover.

2/3/97:More priming. Primed the transmission tunnel, tranny skid plate, and flywheel cover. Cleaned the shifter boots.

2/2/97:More cleaning. Cleaned the crud from the tranny skid plate and flywheel cover and took a wire brush to the couple of spots that has some surface rust.

2/1/97:Installed... Put the new tranny mounts in place of the old ones. Now the tranny/x-fer case sit about half an inch higher than before (the bump stops don't even touch like they used to). I hope this is not bad. Installed the fuel tank selector valve. Had to drill two new mounting holes for it since this valve's outlets point in the opposite direction of the original's. I would go with the Weatherhead 4-way and plug the center side outlet to get a valve that's as close to original as possible if I could do it over. I do like the fact that the 3-way's outlet exits the side instead of exiting down as before. Stripped and primed the axles, springs, and shackles. Installed shallow-disc freeze plugs (1-3/4") in the front and rear of the block and painted them to help prevent future rust-out.

1/29/97:Motor Mounts. Received the motor mounts and tranny mounts I'd ordered from the local Navistar dealer. These are the polyurethane type instead of the rubber which was original equipment. They appear to be slightly thicker than stock. I hope the clearances won't be affected too drastically. Went to the store to replace the bolts with grade 8 versions.

1/27/97:Gasket material. The rubber gasket/strip that runs along the bottom edge of the transmission tunnel cover needed to be replaced, so I went to Hampton Rubber and picked up some sheet of the right thickness (free since the guy said it was just scraps), and also got some thicker stock to make the dust shields used on the drag link to replace the worn-out felt original equipment. There was plenty of the sheet left over should other things crop up needing the same material.

1/23/97:More painting. Finished painting the transmission shift lever, both levers for the transfer case, and the boot hold-down rings for said levers. Cleaned up the threads a bit where the pressure plate is bolted to the flywheel since the old bolts came out with less-than-sharp threads on them. Also, got grade-8 bolts (6) to replace the grade-5 bolts (3) that had been used. I've no idea where they found the pressure plate that was in it, but the new one will now be held down using all six available holes in the flywheel.

1/21/97:More cleaning. Since I've got the transmission tunnel cover off, I figured I'd de-rust the major spots and put some primer on them to slow the growth of the iron lace. I'm still planning on Rhino-Lining it as the last step in the restoration, so I'm not too worried about the primed appearance, just the rust. De-gunked the transfer case shift levers and transmission shifter and gave them the first coat of new paint. Picked up the clutch, pressure plate, pilot bearing, and throwout bearing (the bearing was astronomically priced, FYI). Wire brushed the flywheel and checked to make sure the new pressure plate would work (the old one used only 3 bolts to hold it on, the new uses all 6). Rayloc is the manufacturer of both, and we used the part numbers designed for the 196 engine.

1/20/97:Major bummer. I decided I'd clean the outside of the transmission and transfer case since it would be easiest at this time. They cleaned up beautifully (I can even see the "Dana" logo, now). While cleaning off the bellhousing, I noticed some major cracks at the bottom corners on each side. I think it's due to the rear transfer case insulator/mount needing to be replaced. I'll order new mounts all the way around, now. Wire-brushed and primed the floorpan area where the fuel tank valve will be going back in. The flywheel will also get the wire brush treatment, but it doesn't need to be turned. The pilot bearing came out easily by tapping on it with an appropriately sized socket. I found that the hole in the front of the transmission case where the cluster gear shaft is inserted is weeping oil a bit. So, we'll dry that off and silicone it before mounting it back on a new bellhousing.

1/18/97:Time to check the tranny. Enlisted the help of my friend Chuck ('71 Bronco) to aid in dropping the tranny/xfer case so I could replace the last of the infernal freeze plugs. The fluid that we drained from them was still fresh looking, so for once I won't have any bearings to replace! We got the clutch pack off the flywheel with a little trouble since the pressure plate expanded as the bolts were loosened. We has started on the flywheel bolts when it became obvious we'd forgotten to brace the back end of the engine. One of the motor mount bolts gave out and we were quickly holding the back end with our hands until I could get the jack under it. We couldn't get to the plug in question since the bellhousing was in the way, so we began removing the it as well. The freeze plug is a 1 3/4" unit, FYI. The clutch disk is oil-soaked, so a new disk/pressure plate have been ordered.

1/16/97:More parts. Got a call from my NAPA source, and the long awaited rear ring carrier bearings are finally in. He's getting another friend to press them all on for me. He also bench-tested the alternator and it puts out what it's supposed to. Painted the oil dipstick tube since it's already removed from the block.

1/11/97:Piecing it together. Put the neoprene core plugs in the side of the block (used 1.5" since the old metal plugs had fused into the ~1-5/8" original holes). Blew out all the rust/scale with a compressor (wear a dust mask!). Found the one at the front also needed replacing. Had to remove the dipstick tube, which required bending the oil-fill tube mounting bracket a bit to remove it. Got the old plug out completely, so the 1-5/8" neoprene plug worked. Had to file down the center tightening bolt so the dipstick tube would fit back in. There is also a plug at the back of the block behind the flywheel, so I'm crossing my fingers that they're still solid. I can see myself pulling the flywheel to check them, though. Waiting on the intake manifold gasket and I'll put the engine back together and start it.

1/9/97:Painting. Stripped and painted the alternator bracket parts and the exhaust header. I used BBQ grill paint on the header in hopes that it might last a while in regards to the heat.

1/8/97:Header removal. Used one of the Craftsman "robo-socket" type wrenches to grip the bolt heads and got the three remaining bolts out. Finished de-gunking the surfaces of the head and also removed all the varnish/etc. from the rocker arm assembly. Amazingly, the cleaned up parts look great now! I did notice some wear on the rod that the rocker arms ride on, but if I changed that, I'd have to re-set the valves in case there were different tolerances between old and new. Maybe next time...

1/7/97:Head Cleaning (cont). Finished cleaning the top surfaces including the outside areas of the valve springs. I don't have a spring compression tool, so I'm not going to try to remove them for cleaning. Got the old freeze plugs out from the back of the head. Also finished cleaning the ends and sides. The exhaust manifold side will have to wait until I can get the bolts off.

1/6/97:Head cleaning. Began the process of getting the gunk off the surfaces, etc. Some of the goop was hardened, so I got a jeweler's flat-blade screwdriver to remove the sludge down to the metal. Couldn't finish it all at this time, but got the top-tappet side done.

1/5/97:Head inspection. I had planned to take the head into a local speed shop to get them to clean it, but it looks like I'll be able to take a brass bristle brush to it to de-gunk it. Had to cut the smog air-injection feeder pipes from the compression fittings to remove the fittings. I hacksawed the tubes so I could still use the setup in the future if needed. I'll use some worm-type set screws to plug the holes. The next problem will be to remove the exhaust header. The two end bolts are 9/16" and loosened nicely. The three middle ones are between a 1/2" and 9/16" (and between 13mm and 14mm). I want to remove them and replace them with grade 8 allen-key bolts, and also so I can replace the manifold gasket.

1/4/97:Engine wrenching. I began the day trying to fit the 1-5/8" rubber expansion freeze plugs into the block, but I think I need to try the 1-1/2" size to save myself a bunch of filing to make the current holes bigger. Installed the rebuilt/repainted water pump. Re-installed the clutch linkage. Had to pull the head since one of the freeze plugs at the back was too deteriorated. There are two back there, so I'll put rubber plugs into each and not have to worry about them again. There's also one on the front, but it looks fairly new, so I'm leaving it for now. I had no idea how heavy a cylinder head was until now! (and I thought the *intake manifold* was hefty!)

1/2/97:Little stuff. I'm having trouble finding some of the parts for the front axle. Mainly the rubber oil seal ring and the felt dust shield ring that scrape the back of the steering knuckles. I went to Hampton Rubber and had them cut some rings from matching stock (5.5" OD x 4.5" ID) for $10. Then I went to a Piece Goods fabric store for the felt since none of the auto places seemed to have any. Picked up a yard for less than $2 and cut the pieces using a cardboard template I made from the remains of the original (later found that Navistar have the original equipment and chucked my home-made ones). Cleaned the connectors on the main coil, and painted it and the clutch linkage.

1/1/97:Water pump rebuild. Generous applications of heat from a torch were required to remove the screws holding the pulley cluster onto the pump. Beyond that, it was a cakewalk to remove the pump from the housing. It's in the painting stage right now, as are all the parts associated with the pump.

12/28/96:Block Freeze plugs. Since I'd removed the exhaust system up to the manifold, it was easy to get to the freeze plugs on the side of the block. Upon poking around, I found another behind the starter, so I had to remove that as well so that I could dig the third plug out. I had planned to use metal cups like the original, but there is too much deformation from rust to make a reliably round hole of the right diameter. I'm switching to the rubber expansion plug type instead since I won't have to do as much work for the same sealing effect. Installed the master cylinder. Removed the fuel tank selector valve since the knob had been broken off years ago. Hopefully I'll find a replacement at the local NAPA store.

12/16/96:Manifold Freeze plugs. Installed the two freeze plugs in the side of the intake manifold to replace the ones that had rusted away. Used RTV sealant (non-hardening) and just beat them in with a hammer. No drama there. Also cleaned up the hub parts sent to me by Kent Grasso (thanks again, Kent) since parts of mine were unusable. The Warn hubs I was sent are identical to the original equipment with the exception that the locking knob has the "IH" logo in the place of "Warn". Now I've got workable spare parts!

12/13/96:Drums turned. Took all four to Auto Pro (local garage) and they turned them for $8/ea.

12/09/96: Diff bearings. Dropped off the ring carriers and pinions to have the old bearings removed and the new ones pressed into place.

12/07/96: Time for finish coats. Got the diff covers, tie-rod, and drag link completely painted and ready. First coat on the driveshaft yokes. The rear yoke needs attention since it has a 1/2" piece that's rusted away and left a valley where I believe the oil seal will ride.

12/03/96:Yet more painting. Wet sanded the rear diff cover to remove the orange peel look achieved from the rust pits in the metal. Put the second coat of paint on and it's looking like I wanted it to finally. Got the front painted with its first coat also. Cleaned out the sockets at each end of the drag link and found that one of the tension springs is broken. I'll wet sand it later and give it another shot of paint, too.

12/02/96:A bit of painting. The rear drums are cleaned and painted with the same paint as used on the fronts. If nothing else, they look tons better than they did in the basic rust color. It appears that the rear hub and drum were once two separate pieces, but were welded somewhere along the way. The front has no discernable seam and no amount of pounding and heating did any good with regard to separating the two. Got most of the rust from the diff covers and got the first coat of paint on the rear cover.

12/01/96:Check on the parts order status. A friend of mine manages one of the local NAPA stores, and has agreed to help me track down the various parts I'll be needing. I gave a list of the part numbers out of the parts catalogue I got from Binder Books and he's entering them as he finds time. By all means, buy the parts manual for your vehicle as well as the service manual (if you plan to work on it yourself)! I think Giddem Up Scout had a better price on the manuals but I don't know if they are the same as the reprints from the originals that I got from Binder Books. Fortunately, most of the stuff I need will be able to be gotten from NAPA. Here's a list of Scout parts suppliers , should you need any hard to find goodies.

11/24/96:Yet more stripping. De-gunked the tie rod and drag link, and painted them gloss black (the color for everything I'll end up painting). Painted the backing plates, steering knuckles, front hubs, both driveshafts, and kingpin blocks. The front drums got a coat of BBQ grill paint to help reduce the rust factor on them. I still need to clean up the rear drums.

11/23/96:Nearing the end of cleanup. Did some more scrubbing on the insides of the diffs to make sure the fluid would flow through the proper passageways. Man! This stuff still stinks, even after airing out for 3 weeks! Pulled the master cylinder off so that it can be replaced. The brake lines look good so far, but we'll see how they do with the new hardware installed. Pulled the drag link off and separated it from the tie rod.

11/21/96:More rust removal. Stripped the steering knuckles, wheel spindles, and kingpin blocks. Also got the brake parts for the front wheels as shiny as possible (definitely not mirror-like). I think I'll replace all the bolts that hold the knuckles together since that will be easier than trying to de- rust them. Also the bolts holding the kingpins blocks to the knuckles were pretty rusted, so I'll invest in some replacement grade-8 bolts and lock washers for them.

11/17/96:Rust removal. Got a wire brush on my drill and attacked the front drums and hubs. Get them all primed with the same primer. Also painted the backing plates. It's nice to see some of the end result to all the cleaning finally.

11/16/96:Pinion removal. We got the yokes off each pinion and beat them out successfully. Each cleaned up nicely, and now I can get the bearings pressed on them at the same time I get ones pressed onto the ring carriers. Cleaned the sludge out of the rear pumpkin. Also got the races out of each diff, and also out of the front hubs.

11/14/96: Primed backing plates. I used a cold galvanizing primer to hopefully reduce the amount of rust that will eventually happen. So far, so good.

11/11,12/96: Backing plate cleanup. Now that the gunk had been removed from all four plates, I put a wire brush on my drill and proceeded to chop through all the rust built up over the years. Most of it is off, but there are still some nooks and crannies that need some attention. Wheel cylinders will be necessary at each corner.

11/10/96: More Front end disassembly. Pulled the front axles from the housing and with a pry-bar, removed the ring carrier. There isn't as much surface rust as with the rear end internals, so cleanup went surprisingly faster. As with the rear, new bearings will be required. I'll need to take both to a shop that can remove/press the bearings back on for me.

11/09/96: Front end disassembly. Yanked the front brake components off, Thank heaven for the trusty impact wrench with a universal socket. Without them, I'd have never gotten the retaining plates off the back of the steering knuckles. Pulled the backing plate for the fronts as well as the knuckles. They cleaned up nicely on the inside, but the outside will need to be wire brushed like the backing plates before I can prime/paint them.

11/07/96: More cleaning. Put the rear backing plates into the cleaner and got most of the crud scraped off them. Now they're ready to be stripped of the rust/paint and be primed and painted.

11/05/96: Brake parts cleaning. Having pulled all the brake hardware off the rear backing plates, I proceeded to clean them with a wire brush and "purple de-greaser" *NOTE* : wear rubber gloves when working with the purple stuff -- my hands are still peeling four days later.

11/03/96: Rear end disassembly. Having gotten the rear drums off, I pulled all the brake components off and removed the backing plates so I could clean it all up. Axle bearings are a taper fit and were easily tapped off with a brass punch. Pulled the carrier out, took off the ring and the spider gears and cleaned most of the rust and grunge off them all. All bearings/seals need replacement.

10/27/96: Pulled the oil pan. After cleaning all the sludge baked onto the inside of the pan, I looked up into the cylinders and they appear to be in great condition. I scraped the grime off the surfaces under the tappet cover and cleaned it and the valve cover. Turning the engine over with a socket on the crank pulley showed that all the lifters were doing their jobs, so I'm not going to pull the engine after all. Also cracked open the front diff to find that water had condensed in it like it had the rear. It doesn't look as badly rusted as the rear did, so I'm a little more relieved that I won't have to work on it as much.

10/24/96: Finished cleaning the locking hubs. After scrubbing with ScotchBright pads, the hardened gunk came off, mostly, then on to the Dremel tool to do the polishing that was left over. The Axle Shaft Hub on each will need to be replaced since all the chrome on the race was pitted.

10/23/96: Managed to get the rear brake drums off. The tool for this has three hooks that attach to the wheel lugs connected to a forged-looking ring with a screw in the center. After more heat and banging, they yielded and came off. Mental note: Use plenty of Never-Seize when re-installing.

10/19/96: Tried to get the rear brake drums off. I rented a rear drum puller (a bar-looking piece with a hook at each end), and proceeded to frustrate myself to no end. After heating the drum and trying to help the puller with a hammer, I saw that they weren't going to budge that way. Pulled the front hubs off and got the front drums off (no problems).

10/14/96: Pulled off more engine components including carb, intake manifold, water pump, water neck, etc. Major rust in the water jacket passage-ways. Bead blasting should take care of the majority of it. Pulled the exhaust system off to get it out of the way.

10/12/96: The rear wheels come off to start to work on the rear diff, but the brake drums are too stubborn to come off with the tools we have at hand., so I yanked the shocks off while it was up there. Pulled rear shocks off and they oozed fluid as their last "hurrah". More bad news: the diff appears to have water as well as oil in it evident by a drip of rusty water coming from the pinion bearing. I leave it for now until we can get the brake drums off. I move to the motor next and yank off the smog pump (I'm going to put an A/C compressor in it's place for on-board air when the rest of the engine is working). I find the first of the bad freeze plugs on the back-driver's side of the intake manifold. The second is found just barely weeping on the exhaust manifold side of the engine . When I finally get the service manuals from Binder Books (It's been over a week since they sent them and still nothing), I'll scan for all the plugs on the engine to check any that may be hiding from me. Take distributor cap apart and find that the vacuum advance had broken its mount from the side of the rotor housing. More de-greasing of the spots the pressure washer missed. Brake fluid is non-existent in the front chamber and only 1/3 full in the rear chamber. No wonder the brakes didn't work (well, that's probably only the beginning of *that* saga). I can see I'll probably need to bend a lot of tubing in the near future.

10/5/96: The first thing I did was to get it off the trailer. Hooking the tractor to it, we pulled it forward and the pinion finally freed itself as the rear wheels met the ramps leading off the trailer. At least we could now move the thing. The obligatory pictures were snapped for posterity and I began the scrubbing process. In all its years, I think it never had a bath in the engine compartment. An hour later with a pressure washer and de-greaser, and I could actually see a resemblance on the firewall to the Apache Gold (blech) color of the rest of the truck. At least I could now see where to start attacking the thing.